


White Rose Week 2019

by Zhana



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Childhood Friends, Coffee Shops, Dancing, F/F, Family Feels, First Dates, Flashbacks, I Love You, Jealousy, Love Confessions, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-04-24 08:57:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19169977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhana/pseuds/Zhana
Summary: Collection of One-Shots for White Rose Week Prompts. Tags are in order of the relevant one-shot. Enjoy!





	1. Firsts + Coffee: Yours is Better

Coco Adel was a woman of three great loves: Women, Fashion, and Coffee. Thus, it was fairly common knowledge at Pharos, and later Beacon, that if one wished for advice on any of these three subjects, Coco was the one to see.

Ruby Rose was a woman who had no great interest in fashion. Which was probably exactly why Coco had chosen to launch into a lengthy analysis of her personal style, talking her ear off about growing her wardrobe.

"Now, if your sister's anything to go by, you're probably gonna fill out pretty well over the next few years, maybe try to take advantage of that? Try swapping out some of those dresses for a separate blouse and skirt, I think it'd work great on you."

Ruby groaned, rubbing her temples, slouching forward against the cafeteria table she'd met Coco at, "I can still wear a corset, right?"

"Hey, I'm just throwing out some suggetions. Totally up to you what you do and don't want to wear! But I was operating under the assumption you'd be sticking to 'em."

"Right... and my cloak?"

"Obviously," Coco rolled her eyes behind her glasses, "Oh! You might want to try varying up your palette a little too. Break up all that black and red. Maybe with a little... white?" she flicked her sunglasses down her nose a bit, wearing a smug smirk as she met the glare Ruby shot at her.

"If you already knew why I wanted to talk to you, why did you-"

"I like to help."

"With the thing I wasn't even going to ask about?!"

Coco fixed her glasses, smirking still as she leaned back, shrugging, "Hey, I'm sure the Ice Queen would appreciate the eye-candy," she felt decidedly satisfied at the distinct namesake-flush that idea triggered in the girl sitting across from her, "but I've had my fun. Since you were such a good sport, here," the older leader pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen, quickly jotting down an address, "Great cafe for a first date. Tell them Coco sent you, and they'll be sure to treat you right," she let her glasses fall just far enough to visibly wink as she handed over the slip.

"Great! Thank you Coco!"

The moment the little slip of paper had exchanged hands, the only thing remaining where Ruby had been were a few rose petals floating in the air, left behind by the flurry shooting out of the cafeteria.

Coco chuckled, watching the cloud of roses disappear from sight, "I wonder if she'll even remember any of my tips?"

* * *

 

Two days later, Ruby and Weiss walked down the streets of Vale, Ruby leading them to the address Coco had given her. It was a bit chilly out, and they'd opted for some of their warmer outfits; Ruby in her grey sweater and black overall skirt, while Weiss had donned her cozy peacoat. The cold wasn't to blame, however, for the bizarrely stiff manner with which the two walked. They had hardly spoken a word to each other since they had set out from their room earlier, walking side-by-side, strangely wound up. Nervous.

Neither of them could exactly put their finger on _why_ they were feeling so. They'd gone out together, just the two of them, plenty of times before now. Been practically attached at the hip for months! Did it really make that big a difference that Ruby had _officially_ asked Weiss on a "Date"?

Yes, of course it did!

Ruby distracted herself from her inner turmoil by checking the address, looking around to find they were coming up on their destination.

"Hey, this is it," she said, drawing Weiss out of her own thoughts.

"This looks nice," Weiss observed, looking over the shop.

The cafe took up a decent portion of the street-front building it occupied, a fenced-in section of the sidewalk containing a few tables; several occupied by patrons sitting beneath umbrellas, enjoying their warm drinks. Walking straight through to the door, Weiss held it open, letting Ruby step in before following after her.

The interior could be best described as "Cozy"; chic, modern wood panelling on the walls complimented by strategically overgrown planters, stone flooring, and low lighting made for a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere. Weiss doubted that Ruby noticed any of the design intricacies though, immediately inhaling the scent of fresh baked goods, mingled with that of coffee to fill the air with a delectable aroma.

"Wei~ss! It all looks so good!" Ruby said giddily, looking up and down the large glass display of treats.

"Of course you'd think so," Weiss rolled her eyes, even as a lopsided smile came to her lips, "Get whatever you'd like; I'll cover it."

Ruby paused, turning to look at her, frowning thoughtfully, "That'd be nice, but..."

"But?"

"I should be the one paying! Since I'm the one who, y'know..." she trailed off, averting her eyes as a blush coloured her cheeks, "asked you out?"

Weiss bristled, blushing to match as she too looked away in a huff, "Well, that's... sweet of you, Ruby, but not very rational," she concluded, "How about a compromise? I'll pay for yours, you pay for mine?"

"But you hardly order anything besides one coffee and _maybe_ a scone or something!"

"Well, I'd say that works out then, given our respective finances."

"I'm paying and that's that!" Ruby declared firmly, even as she stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Fine, I suppose I'll pay next time then," Weiss acquiesced with a shake of her head.

"Oh~? Weiss Schnee, are you asking me out on a second date?" she teased, smirking at her date.

"We go out together all the time, it's not a big deal," she deflected, yet the renewed colour of her cheeks and refusal to make eye contact said otherwise.

Ruby hummed, smiling happily as they both moved to the counter to order.

"Welcome, what can I get you ladies today?" the girl working the register asked, quite clearly bemused by the two's interactions.

Humming, Weiss looked over their selection of coffees, ordering something that sounded reasonable to her, along with a croissant.

"And you miss?"

"Huh?" Ruby looked up, having been fretting over the vast selection of delicious looking treats.

"Your order?"

"Oh, right, umm... uh..." she looked back and forth over the rows and rows of food, trying to pick out just a single item for herself.

This went on for some time, until Weiss finally rolled her eyes and said, "Ruby, I told you, I'd be happy to pay for whatever you li-"

"A-Ahhhh, strawberry custard croissant please! And a large with five parts cream and sugar!" her date ordered hurriedly.

The cashier flinched back, a bit surprised by the suddenly blurted order. She recovered quickly though, pricing everything out.

"Why'd Coco have to send us somewhere with so much tasty looking stuff," Ruby grumbled as she handed over the Lien.

"Coco? Coco Adel?" the cashier asked, "You know her?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah! She's our senior at Beacon; she actually recommended this place for, uh, for our date," Ruby explained, growing bashful towards the end.

"I see... well, please, take a seat; someone will bring you your orders shortly," she told them with a cheery smile.

Finding a table in the corner near the front window, Ruby and Weiss sat down, waiting for their order. Unfortunately, the awkward air that had followed them from Beacon returned now that they weren't distracted finding the cafe or ordering their food. Neither seemed to know quite what to talk about on a "Date", and somehow just talking about the same things they usually did felt... wrong. Not that they could actually recall what topics they usually chatted about anyway.

And so they sat, fidgeting in silence, until a waitress brought their orders out. Two steaming mugs of fresh coffee, a crispy croissant for Weiss, a larger pastry loaded with custard and strawberries for Ruby... and a towering, tiered platter of pastries set on the table between them. Both girls looked at the stacks of snacks in surprise, turning to the waitress who had delivered it.

"I'm sorry, but uh, much as I wanna dig into it, we didn't order this," Ruby told her.

"It's a special VIP Platter; our compliments, for friends of Ms. Adel," the waitress explained, "Please, enjoy!"

Turning back to the tower once the waitress had excused herself, Ruby quickly set about snagging various pastries from it, adding them to her plate.

"Sorry Weiss, but I think I'm obligated to take Coco out after this."

Weiss rolled her eyes, reaching to take her mug, "Hmph, bribing you with sweets, is that all it takes? I seem to recall offering to buy you whatever you wanted mere minutes ago," she said, taking a sip of her coffee, "Mmm... this is delicious..."

"So you're saying you'll let me get even _more_ than this on our next date?" Ruby suggested, grinning eagerly.

"Don't test your luck," Weiss answered, taking another sip, eyes flicking away from Ruby, "...but I wouldn't be _adverse..._ "

She spoke quietly, but Ruby heard her all the same, beaming happily as she seemed to finish loading her plate. Now in possession of at least a third of the tower (for a start), she began to dig into what she'd hoarded.

"Mmm, I think I was spot on with my solo-choice," she said after devouring a few different pastries, particularly savouring bites of the custard and strawberry laden croissant she'd ordered originally, "This is delicious!"

"Don't forget about your drink, Ruby," Weiss admonished gently, "Wouldn't want you choking on all those sweets." She decided to leave "Even if your coffee has just as much sugar" unsaid.

Nodding her head even as she finished off her first plate-full, Ruby took hold of her mug, taking a drink of the warm, sugary concoction. Her manner immediately stilled, lowering the drink from her lips, looking down at it contemplatively.

"Is something wrong?" Weiss asked, taking note of the change in her partner's demeanor, a wry smile crossing her lips, "Too much sugar?"

Ruby giggled a little at the joke, shaking her head, "No, no, it's really tasty. It's just..."

Weiss quirked a brow, noting Ruby blushing, refusing to look up at her at first, "Just?"

"It's just," she looked up, smiling softly as she looked across the table into Weiss' eyes, "I kinda think yours is better."

"Mine?" Weiss' confusion only grew, glancing down at her mug, "You haven't even tried it? And I think it lacks in your minimum requirements for sugar content."

Ruby shook her head, "No, I mean..." her blush deepened, "I like my coffee better when you make it."

"O-Oh..." Weiss again matched her blush, quickly trying to hide it by taking a long drink of her coffee, "...I'll be sure to make you some tonight, if you like?"

Ruby giggled again, nodding eagerly, "Thank you, Weiss."

Just like that, it felt as though the awkward air that had hung over them was dispelled, leaving them to enjoy their first proper date, talking the day away. Many more would come, but Ruby would always insist, no matter where they went, no fancy coffee could ever compare to that first mug Weiss had made her.


	2. Silver Eyes Strength + Breathless: Remembering the First

Ruby's first meeting with Weiss had left her breathless... on account of the explosion that knocked the air out of her, replacing it with ash and soot that she had to hack up. Not exactly the sort of glamorous scenarios people usually associated with the phrase "Left you breathless." Getting to know her afterwards, though, that left her breathless plenty of times...

Like when she'd clenched her eyes shut, anticipating being impaled by a Deathstalker's stinger, only to open them to see a frozen Grimm-cicle, and an angel in white standing between her and it.

When Weiss had saved Velvet falling out of a window. Saved the entire team from dying in a train crash. Thrown herself into a volcanic vent to clinch a tournament win for Yang. Listening to her recount the tale, it was easy to imagine how she'd fought off an entire swarm of Lancers in mid-air. Watching her summon that swarm's Queen as her servant at Haven all the more astonishing. Freeze the wings of a Sphinx, burn a horde of Apathy, face her worst fears and so much more.

But there were so many little things Weiss did that left her feeling short of breath too. Like when she'd fallen asleep studying, only to be awoken by her new partner. She'd anticipated a reprimand, but Weiss had cut her off with a hand over her mouth, bringing her coffee, encouragement, and a promise to be the best teammate she'd ever have.

She lost track of how many nights Weiss stayed up with her, keeping her company, helping her study. Steadily took for granted simply having her there at her side, supporting her. In class. In the field. In battle. When Yang was maimed. When she charged back into the Hell their school had become. And then she was gone.

Ruby wasn't _alone_ exactly, even after her team was broken apart. But it wasn't the same, couldn't be the same. There was comfort over what they had all lost, but nothing could ever take its place.

And then she was back. It was funny, sorta, just how easy it was having Weiss around her again. After everything they'd both gone through in their time apart, she thought it might be harder to mesh again. It was, in some ways. She lagged behind a bit in combat; she'd spent months all but locked up against her will, while Ruby braved the wilds of Remnant, but... she was still there. Always ready to have her back, to fight with her, pushing herself to close the gap that had been forced between them. It wasn't perfect, but having Weiss back was like having a part of herself returned. The time apart had changed them both, the fit wasn't flawless, but it was... comfortable.

_"Team RWBY won't leave your side for a second! I promise."_

She didn't want them to have to be apart again. Ever. And if she meant Ruby the person as much as the team, would that be so bad? The first time they kissed in Atlas, until all the air was gone from her lungs, yet still craving more, not wanting to separate even an inch, told her nothing could be better.

Amazement at her abilities. Joy at her warmth and kindness. These were wonderful feelings both. But there were other times her breath caught too. Times of worry, concern, fear. Her show of self-sacrifice and teamwork during the Vytal Festival was as incredible as it was terrifying. The sight of her lying in a puddle of her own blood at Haven a waking nightmare. The scream that had echoed through the Brunswick Farmhouse had chilled her far more than the snowstorm outside ever could have.

Ruby wondered, at times, if she'd made Weiss as scared for her? How had she felt sending her up Beacon Tower that night, only to be separated for months afterwards? Had she felt terrified for her, pushing her Lancer to catch her in mid-freefall? Or fly her out in front of a towering Leviathan?

 _"Think about the people who love you; focus on the thought of them,"_ she'd been told once.

Despair over what was lost, she'd found, was the antithesis of the feelings such thoughts were meant to evoke. Fear of losing what she yet had wasn't much better. But the thought of someone being afraid _for_ her felt... different.

 _"Think about the people who love you,"_ love you enough to be scared to lose you.

* * *

 

"I love you."

Ruby blinked, looking up from Crescent Rose, cradled in her arms as she did maintenance, "...eh?"

"I love you," Weiss repeated, walking over to her. Ruby wasn't even sure when she'd entered the lounge she was sitting in, or how long she'd been there.

This was the first time Weiss had ever said those words to her. Hearing them, Ruby went numb with shock, face slowly warming to nearly the same colour as her cloak. She only snapped out of it when the tool she'd held in her hand fell from her limp grasp, clattering noisily against her weapon.

She gasped, scrambling to avoid dropping everything she'd had in her lap onto the floor, panting for breath when she was certain she'd managed to clutch everything in her arms. A giggle just in front of her reminded her that she wasn't alone anymore.

"...what brought this on?" Ruby asked, carefully setting her supplies down on the table in front of her.

Weiss gave a nonchalant little shrug, a lopsided smile on her lips as she looked down at Ruby fondly, "Nothing really... well, perhaps the situation has _something_ to do with it," she admitted, "I just... wanted to make sure you know."

Ruby looked back up at her, silver gazing deeply into clear, icy blue eyes. She hadn't missed how Weiss' casual tone had grown heavier with those final words, carrying the burden of an uncertain dread.

"I-"

"You don't have to say it back," Weiss cut her off hurriedly, averting her eyes, suddenly seeming quite bashful and flustered, "I wanted you to know... that's all."

Ruby looked at her, a perturbed frown shifting to a soft smile as she stood up, walking around the table to take Weiss' hands in her own.

"Weiss," she spoke softly, so very full of that emotion. She waited for her girlfriend to raise her head back up so their eyes met again, "I love you too."

The brief surprise and overflowing happiness that lit up her face just made the feeling grow even stronger, "I know you do."

"And we're going to be fine," Ruby continued, lacing their fingers together, leaning in to rest of her forehead against Weiss', "I promise."

Her words rang just a bit hollow, standing there aboard an airship bound for Salem's Keep, but even still, Weiss replied, "I know."

* * *

 

When Ruby had closed her eyes, letting her mind stray into her memories as she stood at the precipice of their climactic battle, there had been a horde of Grimm the likes of which none who stood with her had ever witnessed. A vast battlefield teeming with writhing black.

As she opened her eyes, a light shone through the darkness, the likes of which had not been seen since the Gods walked Remnant. And as the light dimmed and her vision cleared, there was no horde before them, only wisps of shadow and the faint cries of a lucky few stragglers fleeing.

Looking behind her, she saw her team flanking her; friends and allies formed up further back, all of them gazing out at the now emptied plain in amazement. Her gaze settled on Weiss, who recovered from her shock when she felt those silver eyes on her.

"Told you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of on the short side, but couldn't think of much to add beyond that...


	3. Jealousy + Home: I Found My Home

The first time Weiss felt it was shortly after initiation. A strange clenching in her chest, accompanied by a bitter thought akin to hate. Or maybe sadness? Sorrow? The former was new to her, the latter sadly more familiar. The cause? Her new teammate -new partner- who had been a constant thorn in her side the past two days, of course; her and her sister.

She'd first met Ruby and Yang together just prior to Ozpin's commencement speech, having overheard the two talking about her and Ruby's... introduction. When she'd spoken up, the girl in the red hood had leapt into the blonde's arms; Weiss had wondered just what their relationship was, but that minor curiosity was overridden by the righteous fury she felt the need to address. She'd gotten an answer later that night, finding the two making a ruckus in the hall being shared by new students for the night, when Yang had demanded to know "what her problem with [her] sister" was.

Protective. That was the first word that she came to associate with Yang, at least where Ruby was concerned. She'd stuck up for her, tried to get her and Weiss to make peace, embraced her after Weiss saved her from her own reckless clash with a Deathstalker. And again when her little sister was declared leader of their new team; gleefully telling her how proud she was of her.

Was this really how siblings behaved? Weiss thought back to the last time she'd seen her own sister, when Winter had been helping her train prior to that fateful night at the White Castle facility. Unrelenting training, night after night, pushing her to her breaking point. Weiss was eternally grateful to her sister; without her, she probably never would have become skilled enough to defeat the Arma Gigas, earning her father's begrudging permission to attend Beacon, at last gaining a chance to get out from under his thumb.

Winter was probably the only member of her family who actually cared about her. She knew she did, but positive reinforcement wasn't exactly her forte. When was the last time she'd given her a hug? Or some critique on her training that wasn't a disappointed reprimand? She couldn't remember. The difference between that, and how her teammates behaved with one another was like night and day. It... infuriated her.

She never voiced these feelings though, finding the strange anger in her chest comparatively unimportant next to other concerns as they all began living together. With time, she grew beyond those initial frustrations, finding herself becoming closer to the sisters, as well as Blake. She was making friends, learning to be happy. But every so often, she'd look at Yang and Ruby, how affectionate they were with each other, and feel that pang in her chest again.

The second time Weiss felt it more keenly was shortly before the Vytal Festival commenced.

* * *

 

"You want me to what?" she'd said when Ruby first asked her.

"Yeah, c'mon, it'll be fun!" Ruby assured her, "Classes are suspended for the Vytal Festival, and since we've got a week off on top of that, me and Yang thought it'd be nice to spend it relaxing at home!"

"And you want me to come with you?"

"Yup!" Ruby chirped happily.

"I don't know Ruby, I was thinking we should use the time leading up to the tournament to train."

"Aww, c'mon Weiss! We've been training all this time, right? Not to mention that intense mission we went on!" her partner argued, "What we need is some time off to decompress; let everything sink in!"

Weiss hummed thoughtfully, averting her gaze when she noticed Ruby starting to look more and more like an excited puppy; once she got like that, it was next to impossible to say no to her, "And Yang's inviting Blake too?"

"Mhmm!"

Seeming to take a few more moments to think it over, Weiss finally turned away, going back to the text she'd been studying from, "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be able to get any _real_ training done all on my own, and since I doubt Blake will turn Yang down, I might as well come too."

"Yes!" Ruby cried, thrusting her arm up into the air victoriously.

Weiss watched her out of the corner of her eye, a small, lop-sided smile on her lips.

After classes on Friday had finished, signifying the beginning of their break leading up to the Vytal Festival, Team RWBY returned to their dorm room to pack. Well, Ruby, Blake and Yang did; Weiss had packed a bag before going to sleep the night before. Once they were all packed, the four made their way down to the airship landing, a chartered flight waiting to take them out to Patch.

"Dad said he'd have dinner waiting for us when we got there," Yang said as they found seats around the cabin.

Ruby's eyes lit up, "O~h! Did he say what he was making?!" she asked, bouncing in her seat with giddy energy.

"What's it matter? You love everything dad cooks!" her sister remarked with a laugh.

"Well, yeah, duh, but I'd like to know what specifically to be excited for!"

"It'll be even better as a surprise."

"Fi~ne," Ruby conceded with an exaggerated sigh, "Can I at least get a hint?"

Yang hummed, tapping a finger to her chin, a wide grin stretching across her face, "We~ll, this doesn't have to do with dinner, bu~t I think I remember Dad mentioning getting some pretty nice rhubarb at the market."

That perked Ruby right back up, a delighted squeal escaping her as she resumed vibrating in her seat. Weiss looked on at the interaction, growing increasingly confused by the moment.

"Why is Ruby getting excited over rhubarb of all things?" she asked, leaning over to whisper to Blake, reading peacefully beside her.

Blake frowned slightly behind her book, golden eyes flicking up to meet Weiss', "Have you ever actually eaten rhubarb?" Weiss' brow creased in thought for a moment before she shook her head, "It goes very well with strawberries in a pie."

Well, that made sense then; even if dinner was still a mystery, Ruby was probably more than satisfied knowing what was for dessert. And then she realized, Ruby and Yang were talking about their father. They were visiting their home for the break. She would be meeting their father. Why was that thought suddenly so terrifying? Her own associations with "Fathers" probably had something to do with it. She'd never met a "Friend's" father; business associates of her own who just happened to have children too were about as close as she'd come. Men who were almost invariably akin to her own father, but... lesser. And she would always be expected to make a good impression, of course.

What was Ruby and Yang's father like, then? All she knew of the man was that he'd sent the family dog through the mail for his daughters to look after, and that Ruby apparently adored his cooking. Those two tidbits, put together with the behavior of his daughters, and Weiss couldn't picture someone more different from her own parent if she tried. Why was she nervous then? She tried to tell herself that this wasn't like meeting with her father or his associates; that she didn't have to put on a performance for her friends' family. Yet for some reason, she felt more nervous than she ever had about living up to her obligations.

"You're going to love Patch!" Ruby's voice suddenly broke her from her thoughts, sitting down beside her as though sensing her increasingly frantic mental state.

Weiss stared at her in surprise for a moment, her mind taking a moment to catch back up to reality before she responded, "Oh? What makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, there's-! Honestly not that much to do," she admitted sheepishly, poking her fingers together, "Most people just go into Vale for shopping or shows and stuff..."

"Yang said something about a market?"

"Mmm! For local farmed goods. Really, I think the best thing about Patch is probably the sights," Weiss tipped her head curiously, silently encouraging her partner to continue, "There're lots of nature trails and stuff, most of them leading up to a few plateaus scattered around the island. The views from up there are _gorgeous_!"

"That... does sound rather nice. Maybe you could show me some?"

Weiss didn't miss how Ruby's excitable manner seemed to quell for a moment. Silver eyes regarded her silently, seemingly contemplating something, before her smile was back as she gave a firm nod, "Definitely!"

Smiling warmly as Ruby settled into the seat beside her, Weiss' more apprehensive thoughts unfortunately returned when she said, "And besides that... it's home."

The word sent Weiss right back to her thoughts of her own experiences. Her own cold, broken home. A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her before her mind could go too far down that rabbit hole, Ruby still right at her side.

"I really do hope you like it, Weiss."

There was something there in her words, in the way she said her name, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. It put her at ease though, smiling softly as she nodded.

Weiss managed to forget her worries, at least until they had touched down on Patch. Stepping out of the airship onto a small dock, there was only one person there to greet them. Short, fluffy blonde hair, comfortable clothes in shades of yellow and brown, and blue eyes with an unmistakeable gentleness to them; Yang certainly took after her father. As if it weren't obvious just by appearances, both the man's daughters immediately cried out, "Dad!" and rushed over to greet him.

Standing further back on the dock with Blake, it was when she watched the man hug both his daughters with a huge smile on his face that Weiss felt the bitter clench in her chest again.

 _"Why can't my father be like that?"_ the thought flickered through her mind so quickly, she almost didn't realize it had come at all.

Again, she was not allowed to dwell too long as Ruby and Yang's father moved past them, walking up to their partners.

"Alright, lemme guess... you must be..." he pointed at Weiss, "Blake," then to Blake, "and Weiss?" His daughters stood behind him, snickering, while he wore a far-too-amused grin.

It was incredibly cheesy, yet Weiss found herself scoffing and playing along anyway, "Hardly. Weiss is Atlesian for 'white'; that would be terribly backwards, don't you think?" she asked, making a deliberate show of flipping her long white ponytail.

Blake giggled quietly behind her hand at the whole shtick, while Yang and her father sputtered and laughed heartily at the response. Ruby meanwhile had lost it, clutching her stomach as she doubled over with laughter at Weiss going along with her father's joke.

"Well, I'm Tai, and it's great to meet the both of you!" and just like that, he ensnared both girls in a warm hug just as he had his own daughters.

It was surprising, a little invasive, and made Weiss completely forget the feeling in her chest as she was led on to one of the best weeks of her life. Dinner that night was just the first of a week of home cooked meals that easily beat out any gourmet food Weiss had tasted in her life. The pie was rather sweet for her liking, but the smile on Ruby's face when she let her have her slice was just right.

True to Ruby's word, there really wasn't much to do on the island in general, beyond relaxing at their house, watching movies or playing games. "Relaxing" for its own sake wasn't something Weiss was tremendously familiar with, but Ruby seemed as determined as ever to help her settle into it. She hadn't been lying about the island's vistas either, though her partner always seemed a bit distracted then, gazing off towards one particular cliff she never did get around to showing her...

It was a week of happiness, spent in a warm home, with her closest friends, before tragedy struck, and made her fear she would never know that joy again.

Jealousy. Weiss was finally able to put a name to that odd feeling after being forced to return to her father's mansion. Exposed again to her cruel father, detached mother, and aloof sibling without an ounce of Winter's care, she realized just how jealous she'd been of her teammate's family. A family that she... almost began to feel a part of. She didn't feel that bitter clench for months, instead growing terribly familiar with a deep, sorrowful longing, wishing to see them again. But she did feel it again, briefly, but keenly.

* * *

 

Stepping through the door to a lovely Mistrali home after having escaped her captivity, Weiss felt her heartbeat quicken when she heard Ruby's voice for the first time in far too many months.

"I'm back!" Qrow called out, leading Yang and Weiss inside.

"Be right there!" Ruby's voice called back from somewhere further in.

"Hey, uh, Ruby-" her uncle called again, as if to warn her.

"I'M COMING!" she cut him off excitedly, soon appearing from around the corner carrying a tray bearing a tea set, "So, we didn't know how many people were coming, so we just cooked all of it," she let out a gasp, dropping the tray to shatter on the floor when she looked up to see them.

Weiss watched on as the shock and surprise on her face twisted into... shame? Her partner shrank in on herself, seeming so small and uncertain as her sister stepped closer. She didn't know what had happened between the two after she'd been taken away, and couldn't make any sense of it from the apology that Ruby tried to stammer her way through, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, the sight causing her heart to wrench.

Yang finally quieted her when she surged forward, wrapping her panicking sister in a tight hug. For a moment, she was quiet, not seeming to know what to say, until finding her voice in a simple, "I love you."

Ruby sniffled, shifting to return the hug, "I love you too," she said through her tears.

Watching the reunion play out before her, Weiss felt tears of her own pooling in her eyes. She was happy for her teammates, relieved to see the sisters together again, yet still she felt that bitter, jealous longing in her heart. She looked away as she wiped a tear from her eye, hoping it would go away.

"Weiss."

That was all it took. There was something in the way Ruby said her name that banished the feeling in an instant. She looked up to see Ruby and Yang turned towards her, arms outstretched, inviting her. She felt tears filling her eyes anew, all feelings besides pure happiness gone from her mind as she ran forward, throwing herself into their arms.

She was home.


	4. Ball + Loss: I Am Not Your Pet

_"Society is to blame._ High _society..."_

An agreeable sentiment if she'd ever heard one; Weiss was [un]fortunate to have been thoroughly educated on the ills of the wealthy and privileged her entire life. She'd spent a few developmental years hoping that, perhaps, she was just imagining things, that the world she was growing up in wasn't as twisted as her heart was telling her. Then her she turned ten, and stopped lying to herself. All it took was her father's angered confession that he'd only married her mother for her family name.

And so, as she grew into adulthood, she swore that she would change things. That somehow, someway, she would fix what her father had destroyed. But to do that, she needed to put herself into a position to do so; a position her father alone could put her in. So, she learned what was expected of her, did what was expected of her, all while training to turn the tables when the time was right. That was the plan, anyway.

Somewhere along the way, she stopped recognizing herself in the mirror. Grew confused which was real, between what she plotted, and the mask she wore. Confused between what she believed, and what her father told her. She couldn't wait. She had to leave, had to escape, before she truly lost who she was. So she fought tooth and nail for the right to attend Beacon, putting an entire ocean between her and her father's influence.

And it worked to melt the icy mask she'd put in place. Maybe a little _too_ well.

_"Which is why you're no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."_

The words were more of a slap to the face than the _actual_ slap that preceded them. She'd felt betrayed, abandoned by her supposed family. Her dreams of a better future, torn from her hands. A prisoner in what was supposedly her own home. And so she cried... for about ten seconds, before realizing just how little she actually cared. Only one member of her family had been there for her in over a decade. She'd already confronted the fact she'd put herself on a path to doing more than just righting her father's wrongs. And this mansion... was no home. It didn't matter what he said. She was leaving, and she was never going to come back.

Gods, how she wished that last part were true. Well, being forced to return to Atlas wasn't _as_ bad as it could have been, she supposed.

_"Weiss, I told you we wouldn't leave your side for a second. We'll find a way to Atlas, together."_

But returning to Atlas was one thing. Having to go to one of the pompous high-society balls that she utterly loathed was another. She wasn't entirely certain just how circumstances had conspired to return her to the same concert hall she'd sung at some months ago, but here she was, forced to mingle with the most shallow collection of cardboard cut-outs on Remnant.

Again though, at least she wasn't alone this time. Standing by the refreshments, she glanced to her side with a mixture of mortification and bemusement as Ruby stacked a plate high with more hors d'oeuvres than every other woman in attendance would consider consuming in a month. Wearing a soft, lopsided smile, Weiss allowed herself a moment to admire her partner as she collected her snacks.

She was wearing a stunning red dress, similar to the one she'd donned back at Beacon's Vytal Dance, with its sheer neck and bared shoulders. It was longer though, fabric draping down to her ankles rather than just a skirt, a cut up one side revealing clean black tights, and her waist was bound by a black corset rather than just a wrap. She completed the ensemble with a pair of stark white arm gloves and flats ("No stupid lady stilts for me!" she'd insisted.)

Weiss had likewise opted for a longer white dress that faded to an icy blue gradient towards the bottom hem, alongside matching heels and one of her older boleros, the red lining standing out against the pale flesh of her neck. One curious addition was her new scarf, which she'd co-opted into use as a wrap around her waist, the red-on-white standing out even more strongly than around her collar. She'd also decided to leave her hair down, long white locks flowing freely down her back; a decision truthfully motivated largely just to cover the Schnee Crest still emblazoned on the back of the particular jacket she wore.

"So like, what do people normally _do_ at these things?" Ruby asked. Or at least, Weiss was pretty sure that's what she said; it was sort of hard to understand her through the mouthful of finger-food.

"Stand around, gossip, say horrible things behind each other's backs, a lot of pointless posturing," Weiss listed off, disdain lacing her every word.

"I thought these things were supposed to be like, dances? Sorta?"

"Ostensibly, but no one really-"

"What about them?" Ruby gestured with her chin.

Frowning, Weiss turned in the direction of the motion, seeing a number of couples gathered close to the live band, dancing elegantly.

"...well, I suppose I could be mistaken," Weiss amended, frown deepening. Somehow she'd never seen anyone actually _dancing_ at one of these occasions. Why was that? The thought occurred that maybe it was because she'd never had anyone she'd actually wanted to dance with before.

The image of herself and Ruby swaying amidst the other couples flashed through her mind, bringing a warmth to her pale cheeks. Turning, she saw her still consuming a steady stream of food, looking around the hall curiously; utterly oblivious to the haughty, mocking stares a few other guests were shooting her, which Weiss unfortunately picked out instantly.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked her after swallowing a mouthful, having noted the glare her partner was shooting a particular group of women.

"...nothing," Weiss said, her expression relaxing as she turned to see herself reflected in Ruby's silver eyes. She gazed into them for a moment, until Ruby tipped her head cutely, "...would you like to dance?"

Ruby blinked, "Huh?"

"Would you like to dance with me?"

"Oh, umm... well, I uh... I'd _like_ to," Ruby answered, eyes flicking away from Weiss as an embarrassed flush came to her cheeks, "but I don't really know, y'know... _how_..."

"Well, it's not too terribly different, conceptually, from combat maneuvers-"

"Ozpin said the same thing."

"What?"

"Back at Beacon. After you and Yang ditched me," she said, a bit accusatorially, "Ozpin came up and told me the same thing."

Weiss gave a little hum, grimacing at the comparison, "Well, he wasn't _wrong_ ," she said, sounding terribly bitter at the admission, "two partners, interlocked-"

"Literally exactly the same thing he said."

"Do you want to dance or don't you?!"

"Yes!"

"Come on then," Weiss grabbed her hand, barely giving her a moment to set her plate down at the table before dragging her towards the dance floor, "You'll follow my lead for once."

Finding a gap among the other dancers, Weiss pulled Ruby into her, directing her to set a hand on her shoulder, her own finding its place on her hip.

"Just follow after my steps, alright?" Weiss instructed, taking Ruby's other hand in her own, beginning to lead her along to the music playing through the hall.

She smiled in amusement as Ruby kept her head down, staring between their bodies at their feet, focusing on following Weiss' movements. Gradually, she found herself recognizing the pattern of their steps, falling into the rhythm of the music, looking up at Weiss with a smile as she grew more comfortable with the dance.

"I'm sorry if I step on your feet."

"You're wearing flats; I'll live."

Weiss smiled when Ruby giggled, the hand at her waist pulling her in a little bit closer. With every step, the world around them seemed to fade into the background, disappearing altogether. Weiss forgot that she was somewhere that held nothing but bitter memories, forgot how much she hadn't wanted to be there, how much she'd dreaded coming back to this place. For a few blissful moments, her world was just her reflection in Ruby's silver eyes, her body pressed to her own, swaying gently to the soft orchestral music.

But all good things must come to an end, and they were drawn back to reality by excited murmuring gradually drowning out the band. Reluctantly breaking her gaze from Ruby's, Weiss looked around for what had the crowd so worked up. Finding the party goers seemingly all turned in one direction, she followed the turned heads to the source of the disturbance, immediately scowling at what she saw.

Striding through the crowd in his double-breasted white suit, all slicked back white hair and narrowed blue eyes, was Jacques Schnee. Drawing herself away from Ruby slowly, Weiss shifted, placing herself between her partner and her advancing father. Her eyes briefly flicked to his side, noting her rat of a brother trailing along behind him, before quickly returning her glare back to her father.

"So, I see that the rebellious child has seen fit to return to us," he said, coming to stand directly in front of her, standing tall, shoulders broad, intimidating as ever, "Had enough of gallivanting across Remnant, hmm? Ready to at last face reality and come home?"

"Hello to you too, father," Weiss gave her measured reply, "I believe I already told you that I had no interest in wasting my time up here."

"And yet here you are," he observed snidely, "wasting the night away with such..." his eyes fell over her shoulder, onto Ruby, silver eyes narrowed to glare back at him, "disreputable company."

Weiss bristled, snapping, "You really think I'd be here if I didn't absolutely have to be?!" calming herself when she felt Ruby's hand squeezing her own behind her back, "I have returned only because my mission demanded it."

"'Your mission,'" Jacques scoffed dismissively, "still insistent on playing hero like the child you are. When are you going to grow up, come to your senses, and stop being such an embarrassment?!" he barked, gesturing out at the gawking upper class. Like she gave a damn.

"And when are you going to grow up and realize I'm not some pet to be groomed and trotted out as you see fit!"

Her father's eyes narrowed further on her, his hand reaching out to grab her wrist, "Enough of this. You'll return home this instant, and this time I'll make _sure_ that you learn your lesson."

For a brief moment as his hand grabbed her, Weiss was ten years old again. Helpless before this demanding figure who controlled every inch of her life.

"She's not going anywhere with you!"

And then she felt Ruby's hand in her own again, holding her there, grounding her in the present, her voice restoring her will, reaffirming her. Weiss planted her foot, a glyph spinning to life around her father's wrist. His grip loosened in surprise, and she quickly snapped her arm free. Pushing her hand out towards him, another glyph formed between them, a slight shove and the manifestation of her Aura had her father sprawled out on the ground.

He always looked so tall, so powerful, lording over her, or glaring across his desk. Now, she stood over him, his eyes wide in shock at her defiance as she glared down at him.

"I suppose you didn't hear me the last time we were here, so allow me to repeat myself. This. Life. Is. _Mine._ "

Again, she felt Ruby squeezing her hand in support. She couldn't see the beaming joy on her face, watching her partner stand up to her father, but she could practically _feel_ the giddy energy she gave off. Weiss kept her gaze firmly on her father, watching as his expression hardened, picking himself up off the ground, never breaking eye contact.

"Very well," he said, far too calmly as he fixed his clothes, "I see now that I was too lenient before. If you're so insistent on acting out, on deluding yourself like a spoilt child, then I have no choice. You can forget no longer being the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I no longer consider you to be a _Schnee_ at all. Come along Whitley."

Scandalized gasps rippled through the crowd, echoing through the dance hall as Jacques turned, taking his leave. Weiss' younger brother remained, looking genuinely shocked at their father's declaration.

" _Whitley!_ "

His body flinched at the snap, something like regret written on his face as he looked to his sister for a moment, before turning to follow Jacques away.

"...so be it then," Weiss said, turning in the opposite direction, making her way to a large window leading out onto a balcony overlooking the wilds of Solitas far below.

"How is it so warm out here...?" she hadn't even noticed she was still dragging Ruby by the hand as she walked up to the railing.

"Fire dust," Weiss answered, finally letting go of Ruby's hand, leaning against the railing, "Heating vents are integrated into most of the architecture, creating a... bubble, I suppose, that blocks out the cold, even out here."

Ruby stood against the stone beside her partner, looking on worriedly as she let out a deep, long sigh, "Weiss? Are you okay?" she asked, a hand reaching up to gently rub her back.

"Surprisingly, yes," she answered, hands shifting up to rub her face before dropping back down over the railing.

"Can he actually do that? Like, say you're not a Schnee anymore?"

Weiss hummed in thought, looking up at the broken chunks of the moon, "Well, he can formally disown me. He already removed my stake in the SDC; striking me from his will, maybe even the family records, wouldn't be much harder I imagine," she let out another, smaller sigh, "I doubt he'll go through the trouble of rewriting my birth certificate though."

"...how are you feeling?"

"Tired," she answered with a wry little smile.

"Really? Just... just tired?"

Weiss nodded simply, "I think... this was a long time coming."

"Didn't you always used to say that you wanted to uphold your family's honor?"

Another nod, and a hum of acknowledgement.

"Wouldn't him outright disowning you kind of... mess with that?"

"That's an understatement," Weiss replied, surprisingly laughing, "I realized something though, a little while back. My entire life, the idea of 'The Schnee Family Name' was drilled into me by my father.

"That I had to act a certain way, do certain things, be a certain person, to uphold it. But, even as I began to realize I didn't want to be that person, I still couldn't shake that idea. So, I told myself that I didn't want to just uphold my name, but restore it. Restore it to what it meant when my Grandfather was alive.

"What I've come to realize now though is... I don't think he'd care. It was my dad who always went on about 'The Schnee Family Name'. Grandpa didn't set out to make a name for himself, he made a name for himself because he was a good man, who did great things. So, that's what I'm going to do.

"I'll uphold that legacy, not by bringing honor to a name, but by living like he did," she turned to face Ruby, smiling serenely as she looked in her eyes; silver mirrors stared back at her, her expression clearly showing her rapt attention, "I told myself it was my duty to be a Huntress, that it was the best way to make things right. And it is, but not for the sake of making up for my father's wrongdoings. I want to help people, just like my grandfather before me."

Ruby smiled back at her warmly, reaching out to take Weiss' hand again, "You're an amazing Huntress, Weiss, talking like that."

"Well, I have an excellent role model."

"Your granddad sounds like he was really awesome."

"Yes, he was, but that wasn't who I meant."

"Hmm? Who then?"

Weiss giggled, reaching up to poke Ruby's cheek, "You, you dolt," the admission brought a blush to her cheeks, one reflected on Ruby's own face, "My grandfather is my idol, everything I want to be. But all the things my father has said and done... I got lost, and you're the one who helped me find my way again," she smirked playfully, hand shifting to cup Ruby's cheek, "Like you said, that's why we're here, right? To make the world a better place."

"I really am rubbing off on you, huh?" Ruby replied, giggling as she leaned into the touch.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," smiling at each other a moment longer, Weiss eventually dropped her hand to Ruby's waist, gently pulling her away from the railings, "He interrupted our dance."

"He did, didn't he?"

Walking to the middle of the outdoor space, they began to sway once more to the music filtering out to the moonlit balcony. They were truly alone now, no one else out beneath the stars with them, and nothing existing beyond that balcony.

Even as she smiled serenely, losing herself in her partner once more, Weiss couldn't help but let out another sigh, "Still, if my father is really determined... I am and shall always be Nicholas Schnee's granddaughter, but I may be in need of a new name..."

Ruby hummed in thought for a moment, "Oh, what about Rose?"

"...what?"

"Yeah! Kinda has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? 'Weiss Rose.'"

She only then noticed Weiss staring at her, wide-eyed, slack-jawed and burning red. It took a moment for what she'd said to catch up to her, Ruby's face soon flushing to match, her body shifting anxiously in Weiss' hold, as though trying to escape.

"I-I-I didn't mean it like that! Or, well I mean I know what it sounds like, but I... well, I- if you wanted to take it that way I totally wouldn't mind, but I'm not like- I'm not trying to- I mean not yet anyway, and I- Uh..."

Weiss broke out into a fit of laughter at the panicked, stuttering display, holding Ruby fast against her as she tried to scramble away.

"'Weiss Rose,' huh?" she repeated with a little smile, fingers intertwining with Ruby's as she focused on her eyes, "I think I like the sound of that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sorta tempted to put "In which Ruby accidentally proposes" somewhere at the top, but I figured I'd leave it a surprise.
> 
> I struggled to figure something out for this combo up until the last minute, when finally inspiration struck; the crux of this being "Loss [of Identity]." Really kinda proud of how this one came out, so I hope people enjoy it!


	5. Meeting Parents + Recovery: The Butler Did It!

Everything hurt. Every inch of her body screamed out "Pain." She curled in on herself, desperately fighting to stay conscious, focusing on three white silhouettes in her blurred vision.

Everything hurt. Every inch of her body ached, demanding rest. Yet she simply sat there, gazing at the pale figure lying in bed. Until the screaming started.

Things didn't hurt so bad anymore. She was still sore, body still wishing to simply lie down and relax. Instead she forced herself to remain there on that bench, numb to the sound of other kids playing in the distance.

Everything hurt. Bandages clung tight to her body, covering up sore bruises and stinging cuts. She sat at the bar, staring down into the colourful abyss of her half-finished cocktail.

"Ruby?"

Her head shot up, blinking owlishly when the address stirred her from her funk. She saw golden eyes staring back at her from the other side of the bar, concern clear in their gaze.

"Oh, sorry Blake, kind of... got into my own head for a second there. Did you say something?"

The black-haired bartender was silent for a moment, cat ears twitching atop her head before she spoke again, "Just... wondering how you're doing?"

"Oh, y'know, well as can be, I guess," she took a sip of her drink, managing a faint smile at the sweet taste.

A few more moments of silence passed between them before Blake spoke again, "I was wondering, why did you become one anyway? A White Knight?"

Ruby blinked, a bit surprised by the question; coincidentally, she'd been thinking about that very subject. Or maybe that wasn't so surprising, given all that had happened?

"Yang never told you?" Blake just shook her head in response, "Guess that makes sense; it's not a very... pleasant story. You sure you want to hear it?" A nod. Ruby looked back down into her glass, wondering how to begin, "This was like... twenty years or so ago. I was playing in the park with Weiss, when a guy in armor ran through and grabbed her..."

* * *

 

"Alright you posh brat, you're gonna be my ticket outta this shit..." the man's voice was heavily obscured by his robotic helmet, which was also serving to protect him from the struggles of the child he'd thrown over his shoulder as he bolted through the park.

"Put me down you jerk!" she cried, little fists futilely beating on his back as her legs kicked against his armored chest until they were sore and bruised.

He had to admit, after everything had started to fall apart, finding this girl was a stroke of luck! She was dressed way too nicely to be some run-of-the-mill brat; the perfect ticket to ransom his way out of this mess!

Just as he was assured of his getaway prospects, he heard the sirens surrounding the park, emergency vehicles pulling up into place to block his exit.

"Stop where you are, and put the child down!"

The man growled under his mask, pulling the white-haired girl in front of his chest. In the same motion, he pulled a gun, leveling it at her head, "You're gonna let me walk right outta here, or this brat eats it!"

"Weiss!"

Distracted, he looked behind him at the cry, just as another little girl slammed into his leg, beating on his hip with her tiny fists. Shit, he'd forgotten there'd been another kid when he'd grabbed the fancy one.

"Let her go!"

"Get the hell away from me!" he twisted, kicking the child hard in the chest, sending her flying.

It was all the distraction another armored figure needed to rush in.

* * *

 

When Ruby had woken up, she was in the hospital, the numerous machines around her immediately giving her a headache with all their beeping. Yang and their dad had been there, worried half to death, but even with her body feeling like it was screaming inside an inferno, she refused to calm down until they told her what had happened to Weiss.

If only to get her to stay calm, they finally escorted her to the room where Weiss was resting. Her white hair was splayed out around her, and it was actually a little difficult to discern the bandages wrapped around her head, covering up her left eye. Ruby lost track of how long she sat there at her bedside, watching her, waiting, hoping for her to wake up.

The door slamming open finally startled her from her daze, turning to see a tall man in a fancy white suit that matched his slicked back hair stride into the room. He scowled as he looked around, seeming to despise everything his eyes glimpsed.

"Honestly, what an utterly pathetic excuse for a hospital. I don't know how anyone could bear to entrust their care to such a-" his ranting paused as his eyes fell on Weiss, disdain briefly turning to something at least resembling sorrow. Then his eyes shifted to Ruby, and the hate was stronger than ever, "You."

Ruby winced, flinching back in her seat as he stalked up to her, "You're the little rat that she was there to see, aren't you?"

"I-I-"

"You're the reason _my_ daughter was hurt by that criminal! You're just as much at fault as he is!" he shouted down at the child who probably didn't even reach his knee.

Ruby could barely form a sentence, breath coming out in painful hiccups, tears welling in her eyes to spill down her cheeks freely.

"Get out," the man said, seeming to rein in his anger, speaking more calmly. Venomous hate still laced his every word, "I don't want you anywhere near my daughter. If you even _think_ about seeing her again, you'll be sorry."

"Bu-But-"

"OUT!"

Ruby was just a child, scared and hurt. She fled, running through the halls of the hospital until she was in her sister's arms, sobbing. By the time she had dried her tears, and gathered every ounce of courage in her tiny body, Weiss had already been moved elsewhere.

* * *

 

"And that was how I met my best friend's father..."

"Wow, that's... quite the story," Blake managed to comment.

"Told ya."

"It... doesn't really answer my question though."

"Hmm?"

"I asked why you chose to become a White Knight. I don't really see how being attacked by one, then screamed at by Weiss' father, led to that."

"Oh, right," Ruby laughed a bit at herself, taking another sip of her drink, "Well, one attacked us, yeah... but another one saved us too. It wasn't like, I decided what I wanted to do with my life right then and there. I mean, I'd kinda had it in my head before... Yang ever tell you our mom was one?"

Blake shook her head again, "No, she mostly just rants about her birth mom occasionally. Whenever your mother comes up, she just gets... melancholic."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Ruby let out a sigh, taking another sip, "Well, the 'mom died in the line of duty' and 'almost killed by a dirty knight' things didn't really make it my first choice for a while. Somewhere in high school though, I just sorta... decided. I wanted to be like dad always said my mom was, like the guy who saved us. I wanted to help people," she paused a moment, letting out a faint laugh, "Sorry, probably should've just led with that..."

"It's fine; it's your story to tell. I am curious though, what happened next?"

"Next?"

"After Weiss' dad screamed at you."

"Oh... I cried, a lot. Basically to sleep, every night for... I don't even know, it _felt_ like forever..."

"What felt like forever?" a voice from the bar's entrance drew both their attention; a woman in an elegant white dress that matched her snowy hair walked in.

"Weiss!" Ruby's attitude immediately brightened as she sat down beside her.

"Hello Weiss, can I get you anything?"

"Whatever Ruby's having is fine for a start."

"You sure? I'm on a sweet kick," Ruby teased.

Weiss rolled her eyes, "When are you ever not? I'll survive."

"You know, we were just talking about you," Blake said, going about mixing the requested drink.

"Oh? And just what was this about something feeling like forever?" she asked again, focusing her attention on Ruby.

"Umm... that's kinda..." Ruby flushed worriedly under the attention.

"She was telling me about how she met your father."

Weiss turned to Blake as she presented her drink, looking distinctly surprised, "Oh," she took a small sip, glancing at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, "Not a pleasant meeting, from what I'm told..."

"I have to admit, I'm kind of curious what happened next. She told me he demanded that you two never see each other again, yet," she gestured to the two of them.

"...the butler did it," Ruby said after a few moment's silence.

Weiss sputtered, breaking out into giggles while Blake just rose an eyebrow.

"Well, he did!"

* * *

 

The man, who Ruby could only presume was Weiss' father, had demanded he never see her again. _Threatened_ her, should the command be disobeyed. And yet, even if the thought of him frightened her, she wanted to see her again.

So, she kept returning to the park where they had played together so happily. Even if their last meeting there had been a nightmare, she didn't know where else to go. Every day, against the protests of her father, sister, and her own beaten body, she returned to the park, sat and waited.

She lost track of how many days she kept this routine. How many nights she returned home and cried herself to sleep. That she seemingly completely lacked the ability to tell time anymore might have been the only reason she held onto hope as long as she did. Or maybe it wasn't that long after all? She honestly couldn't tell. Until someone finally came up to her at that park bench.

"Ruby?"

She lifted her head, seeing the familiar white hair, done up into a neat ponytail, clear blue eyes observing her worriedly.

"Weiss!" she jumped up, immediately throwing her arms around her friend, squeezing her tight, "You're okay!"

Weiss eventually managed to pry her off, pushing her arms-length away, holding her arms as she looked her over.

"And what about you? You look like a mess," she said, lifting one of her hands to wipe away the tears spilling from Ruby's eyes.

"Y-Your dad," Ruby tried to speak between sobbing and sniffling, "he said that- said that he didn't want me to see-see you anymore!"

"Well, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't know then. Now come on, Klein's going to take us for lunch!"

That was all the reassurance Ruby needed, giving one last heavy sniff before following along after Weiss.

Ruby let out an excited little gasp, only just now noticing something, "Oh, cool, you've got a robot eye!"

* * *

 

"So... butler?" Blake asked, still confused.

"Oh, right, duh, I guess I never mentioned that like, Weiss' dad never brought her to the park. He was too important for that."

"Honestly, my butler Klein was more like a father to me than Jacques ever was..."

"Couldn't your dad have you tracked or something? Didn't he monitor you at all?"

"Well, we were just kids, we weren't really worried about that..."

"Klein though, somehow, someway, had his trust. More than that, he had an uncanny knack for hacking. In particular, things related to identity and monitoring tech."

"The butler did it!" Ruby declared again.

"So you just never questioned how you got away with seeing each other behind your dad's back?"

Weiss shrugged, "We figured Klein was looking out for us, we just never questioned the specifics until I'd moved in with my sister, away from my father's control."

"It all worked out though!" Ruby insisted, leaning into Weiss, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

Weiss looked over the body of the heavily bandaged woman pressing against her. The surface sight alone was concerning, but her cybernetic eye could perceive past the bandages, noting the status of every cut and bruise. Every sprained muscle and broken bone. She tightened her hold just slightly, clutching Ruby close as she dared.

"...I suppose so..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Literally no one:  
> Me: VA-11 Hall-A AU starring Blake as Jill, Ruby as Sei, Weiss as Stella, and (unseen here) Yang as Dana!  
> Yeah I don't know wtf I was thinking either.


	6. Thank Me Later + Promise: Confession

Atlas, your prodigal daughter has returned. Wonderful.

Weiss had felt herself growing increasingly, constantly tense with worry for days now. It had been her worst fear realized the second she'd heard Ozpin declare they had to take the lamp to Atlas before passing out. Ruby had managed to calm her down though. Every step of the journey, she reassured her, comforted her, supported her. But with each step, there was only so far she could be calmed.

For the couple weeks before they departed Mistral, she was able to mostly push their next destination from her mind. Able to joke about her discontent as they boarded the train. The Apathy draining her will to go on made all her insecurities and fears rise to the surface, but once their influence was gone, she was quick to reiterate her dedication to their mission. That became harder to manage when they were in front of Atlas' base in Argus, confronted by the familiar authoritarian manner of her homeland.

Still, she pushed on. For her friends. For her partner. Boarded an airship bound for the last place on the planet she wanted to go with only an old woman stowed away for company, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. Fearing, if only for a moment, that she'd never speak to her friends again once they flew out of range of their scrolls. She was thankful that the fight to secure that stupid little ship left her too exhausted to worry as they flew across the ocean to Solitas.

When they finally came within sight of Atlas, she managed to remain calm; some small part of her taking pride in the collective awe the others expressed, seeing the flying city for the first time. Then she looked up.

"Weiss? What is it?" Ruby was the first to notice, of course. The thought briefly occurred that she seemed to keep noticing _Weiss_ noticing things, before the things themselves...

Everyone's attention was now on her. Seeing her gazing up over the city, they raised their heads as well, and saw what she did.

"The Atlas Air Fleet..." floating menacingly in perfect formation high in the air, "I knew all our ships were called back, but..."

"They're set up like they're expecting an attack," Qrow observed worriedly.

The static of the comms drew their eyes back down to the ship's console, a woman's voice filtering through.

"Mantle-51... _welcome home.”_

Suddenly it was all too real. She was back in Atlas, and the thought _terrified_ her. She felt her chest tighten, breathing quickening as her mind raced. She'd charted this flight using the excuse of returning home. Told the military in Argus as much. Had they sent word ahead that bringing her here was the specific purpose of this flight? Forwarded a (supposed) passenger list? Did Ironwood know she was coming? Did Winter? Did her _father?!_

Would he be there to try and drag her back to his mansion? Maybe he wouldn't even bother, and just send an entourage of SDC Security or something. Maybe he'd send Klein? That was probably wishful thinking. This was a military vessel though, and as at-odds as Jacques and Ironwood seemed when she left, maybe the General wouldn't allow him or his associates anywhere near where they'd be landing?

Weiss felt a hand on her back, tensing at first at the touch, only barely resisting outright flinching away. Drawn from her thoughts, she looked beside her, immediately relaxing when she saw Ruby there, concern and compassion written across her face.

"Together, remember, Weiss?"

And just like that, she felt calm again. She returned the smile Ruby wore, nodding her head decisively. Whatever awaited her on this kingdom in the sky, she wouldn't face it alone.

As their airship touched down inside one of the many spires that comprised the main Atlas Academy, Weiss moved to stand at the head of the group before the door. She sucked in a deep breath, standing tall as she could, ready to see just what awaited her.

"Winter!" she cried happily as the door opened, and she immediately saw her sister waiting for her below.

The elder Schnee daughter looked as stern as ever, flanked by several Atlesian Knight droids, eyes never leaving her sister as the ship's ramp lowered, the entire group making their way to the ground.

"Weiss. It's good to see you again. Pray tell, where have you been with these..." her eyes raised, roaming over the group, narrowing briefly when they passed over Qrow, before returning to normal and her sibling, "people?"

"Mistral. I'd actually been planning to meet up with you first, but my ship crashed... then I learned about General Ironwood recalling our forces."

"Crashed?" Winter's voice was laced with just the smallest hint of that thing called concern, "You mean to say you trekked through the wilds of Mistral, and somehow reunited with your friends?"

"Well, no, I-" she let out a sigh, "The truth is both more and less of a coincidence, and... a really long story."

"I see. Well, the General told me to find you accommodations, but he said nothing about you having such a large... entourage."

"Yeah, about that Ice Queen," Qrow spoke up, only smirking wider at the glare Winter shot at him, "I sent a letter ahead for Jimmy. Y'happen to know if it reached him yet?"

"Not to my knowledge," she replied, bristling as ever at his manner, "I imagine he'll want to debrief you, and know why such an unexpected group has come to Atlas. Follow me."

* * *

 

Weiss collapsed onto the bed with an exhausted groan, arms splayed out to either side. They'd been put up in a barrack, each given a single available room, and while it wasn't quite as cozy as the Cotta-Arc house, a bed was a bed. And she _really_ needed a bed.

Stealing an airship, fighting a giant mech, pushing her Semblance to the limit against a Leviathan; the cold fuselage of that airship didn't make for a great rest. After the meeting with Ironwood on top of that, to say she was _exhausted_ was an extreme understatement. But at least now, she could get some re-

Grimacing when she heard a knock on her door, Weiss _very_ strongly considered ignoring it. Whoever it was though, they were quite persistent. With an annoyed groan, she pulled herself up, the mechanical door sliding open at the push of a button.

"Ruby?" she was surprised to see her partner standing there, hand still raised mid-knock when the door suddenly opened.

"Hi Weiss!" Ruby's raised hand opened to wave at her.

Where did she get the energy to sound so chipper? She had to be at _least_ as exhausted as Weiss was. Then again, she'd always had more stamina, her time in Mistral might have built up even more.

"What are you doing here Ruby? Shouldn't you be resting?"

She laughed a little, poking her fingers together as she stood there, "Maybe, but I was feeling kinda rest- _less_ , so..."

"So you thought you'd come bother me?" Weiss arched a brow.

"Yes?" Ruby managed a weak smile, shrugging her shoulders as she batted her eyelashes.

Weiss glared at her for a moment, before letting out a sigh, stepping aside, "Did you want to come in?"

Smiling brighter, Ruby did just that, walking past into the small bedroom, "Thanks Weiss!"

Weiss just gave a little affirmative hum in reply.

"For everything, I mean."

Then frowned, looking at her partner, who was facing away from her, when she heard her voice take on a more serious tone, "Ruby?"

"Having my back on the train, saving me time and again against Cordo's mech, going along with my plan for the Leviathan..."

"Ruby..."

"And even before all that! The Deathstalker the day after we met, the train under Mountain Glenn, the Vytal Festival... that night at Beacon..."

 _Thank me later._ That's what they'd said to each other, but there was a sentiment there. Unspoken, but understood. Or at least, Weiss thought there was.

"Ruby... you don't _actually_ have to thank me, for any of it."

"I know," Ruby turned around, wearing a smile as she faced Weiss, "but I want to."

 _Because I don't know if I'll always have the chance._ Weiss recognized a fake smile. She'd had more than enough practice, seeing her own in the mirror. It wasn't something that should ever mar Ruby's face. She was terrible at them too; Weiss could see unshed tears in the corners of her eyes.

"What happened to 'together'...?" she muttered.

"Weiss?"

Ruby watched as Weiss stepped towards her, stepping back to match until her back hit the wall. With only a few inches between them now, she let out a surprised little shriek when her partner's hand slammed into the wall beside her head. Icy blue eyes, full of cold fire, glared into her silver.

" _I_ am not going anywhere, Ruby Rose," her exhaustion seemingly forgotten, Weiss spoke firmly and full of purpose, "There will _always_ be another opportunity to thank me."

"I... I know-"

"And _you_ are not going anywhere either," she felt herself tensing up, fighting to keep any tears from prickling at her eyes like they did in Ruby's, "You promised, right?"

Ruby shuddered, comparatively losing her fight to not cry, managing to nod her head, "Yeah... I did; we'll find a way, together."

"Good," Weiss felt herself relax, tiredness again seeping into her.

No longer focused entirely on the sudden bout of anger, Weiss realized just how close she and Ruby were now. How she had her pinned up against the wall. How she could lose herself in her mirror-like eyes. How soft everything about her seemed, her lips especially...

"But I suppose... it is later," she raised her other hand, gently cupping Ruby's chin.

"Weiss-?!"

Whatever she may have been about to say was abruptly cut off by her partner's lips on her own. Her eyes blew wide in surprise, but they very quickly slid shut as Weiss' had, pressing in to return the kiss. Weiss' hand dropped from the wall, fingers tangling in Ruby's crimson mop, the other dropping from her chin, trailing over her chest and side before finding purchase on her hip, while Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss' neck as their mouths moved hungrily against each other's.

Weiss wasn't sure if she had pulled Ruby away from the wall, or if it was Ruby that had pushed her. Her entire world was the feeling of lips, shuddering in delight at the feeling of _someone's_ tongue, of soft moans echoing through her head. She hadn't even noticed they'd moved until the back of her legs hit the edge of her bed, and suddenly Ruby was on top of her.

The kiss was broken, Ruby's hands to either side of Weiss' head, catching herself from falling on top of her. Both their faces were hot, flushed red, chests heaving as they panted for breath, their air washing over the other as their eyes flicked between their partner's, and her lips.

Ruby's eyes strayed a bit further, taking in the sight of Weiss lying underneath her, swallowing heavily.

"That was...wow... quite a thank you..." she mumbled with a soft giggle.

Weiss felt herself quiver as Ruby's tongue briefly darted out over her lips, craving the feeling of it against her own again. She raised her arms, hooking them around Ruby's neck this time, pulling her down. Ruby resisted at first, but her arms gradually bent, lowering her down at Weiss' insistence, feeling their two bodies press flush together.

"Oh, I'm far from done..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a kabedon.  
> And if anyone's confused by the title, I'm a firm believer in actions speaking louder than words.


	7. Bonus: Acceleration

Her body was tense, coiled like a spring, ready to fire. She looked up, straight down the track; lane markers highlighted and digitally raised slightly above the ground. A cute little cartoon vaguely reminiscent of her coach floated directly in front of her, waving an equally cartoonish gun above his head.

**3... 2... 1...**

The numbers counted down above him, the image instantly replaced by a flashy **GO!!** while the pop of a starter pistol rang through her mind. The runners immediately launched down the track, the faster among them -like herself- gradually pulling ahead, the divide between them only growing with each step. A timer counted up in the top right of her periphery, a small rendering of the track just below showing a little red dot slowly but steadily gaining a lead.

Ruby loved running. The wind in her short, crimson hair, heart pounding as she kept her breathing under control, body burning with life as she worked herself to go faster still. Yet somehow, it wasn't enough. As much as she loved it, her mind would still wander. A few subtle gestures with her fingers, and she'd opened up her favorite game, an open-world shooter, the app's window laid over her view of the track.

Multitasking like this, integrating the control of the game into her track practice, it made her feel invigorated. Like she was actually _in_ the game, while also pushing her to get more out of her practice. A win-win! Sure, VR games offered plenty of feedback even if your body wasn't doing anything, and there were plenty of AR experiences out there, but she found something uniquely enjoyable about her ad hoc configuration.

She was so into her game, feeling her character run through the map as she followed the track, sniping targets even as she followed the curve of the field, she didn't notice a little green dot sneaking up on her lead. Not until she felt her foot snag on something, letting out a shriek of surprise as she was sent hurtling to the ground.

**GAME OVER**

"Ow..." whimpering, Ruby rolled over, pushing herself up, arm flailing about in front of her, closing the window informing her that she'd apparently been killed mid-crash.

With her vision unobstructed, she saw the rest of the track team catching up, stopping around her, looking concerned. Already standing just above her though, was a dark skinned girl with green hair and red eyes.

"Oh no, that looked like it _hurt_ ," Emerald observed, not an ounce of sincere concern in her tone, "You know, you really should look where you're going," her tone shifted slightly, a knowing smirk crossing her face.

Ruby fumed, quickly getting back up on her feet, "You tripped me!" she spat, incensed.

"Wha-! Why, I would _never_ ," Emerald deflected the accusation with a scoff.

"Emerald," their coach's firm voice admonished as he came up to them, rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand, the other pointing towards the nearest social camera.

She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as she dropped the act, "She's always playing games!"

"And yet she was still head of the pack."

"But-!"

"I don't want to hear it! If you have an issue with a teammate, you should bring it to my attention, not trip them!" he admonished, "Go clean up, then report to the Principal's office."

Scowling, Emerald shot another glare at Ruby before storming off the field.

"Was what she said true?"

Ruby blinked, looking up at the coach now, "Huh?"

"Were you playing games mid-practice again?" he asked sternly.

Ruby just laughed nervously, poking her fingers together under the coach's gaze, "Eheh, sorry?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "You're our ace Ruby, and your performance certainly isn't suffering, but letting yourself be distracted like that is... disrespectful."

"Do I have to go see the Principal too?" she asked, pouting.

"No, I don't think that's necessary," what a relief, "but I would like you to meet with the Student Disciplinary Head," or not, "Hopefully a talk with her will prevent another incident like this..."

"Is that uh... r-really necessary, coach? I swear I won't do it again!"

The teacher raised an eyebrow at her resistance, but simply nodded his head, "Yes, I'm afraid so. Now get going."

Ruby groaned, turning to head back towards the school building. Gazing up where she knew the office she'd been told to report to was, she swear she saw a flash of white in the window. It was probably just her imagination though, given who she was going to be meeting with...

Quickly showering off the sweat from practice and the dirt from her fall, Ruby soon stood before the Student Council office; the President also acting as the Student Disciplinary Head. The President that Ruby had met on her first day of school months ago. And by "met" she meant "crashed into in front of the school gate causing her to drop all of the paperwork she'd been carrying, prompting her to scream her ear off." Not a great first meeting.

Steeling herself, Ruby sucked in a breath, raising her hand to knock.

"Come in."

The voice startled her, pre-empting her actually knocking. Shaking off her surprise, she lowered her hand, opening the door to step inside. Sat at a desk in front of the open window was the Student Council President, Weiss Schnee, long white ponytail flowing gently in the breeze.

"Hello..." Ruby greeted hesitantly, shutting the door behind her, flinching back when one of Weiss' cool blue eyes rose from her paperwork.

"Hello Miss... Rose, is it?" Ruby wondered if she remembered the incident from all those months ago, "Still tripping over things?" That would be a yes.

Ruby laughed nervously, walking up to her desk, "Ahah, did uh... did the coach mention that in his e-mail?"

Weiss just made a noncommittal hum, eyes glancing between Ruby and the air just beside her, likely reading an e-mail sent ahead by the coach.

"So, you were playing games during practice, which provoked one of your teammates to trip you?"

"I'd hardly call that 'provoking'..." Ruby muttered under her breath.

"And might I ask why you were playing games while the rest of your peers were focusing firmly on practice?"

She shrugged, looking away in some mix of shyness and shame, "I just... I love running, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like... enough?"

Another little hum, "And what game was it you were playing?"

"Excuse me?" she hadn't expected that inquiry.

"What game were you playing?"

Hesitantly, Ruby gave her the name, watching Weiss' long, slender fingers flick through the air.

"Take a seat," she motioned to a chair in front of her desk, waiting for Ruby to do so, "You and I are going to play a match."

"Huh?! Why?!"

"That's for me to know, but... it may make sense, soon enough," well that was certainly cryptic, "Direct Link."

"...Direct Link," Ruby repeated.

The world around her faded, reality bleeding away into a digital realm, the Student Council office disappearing in favour of a scenic forest. In the virtual world they had entered, Ruby and Weiss both favoured avatars crafted in their own images, but their school uniforms had been replaced by a Little Red Riding Hood costume and an elegant white gown respectively.

As she got her bearings after logging in, Ruby was startled briefly by an alert flashing in front of her, a 1-V-1 challenge for her favourite game. Looking past the accept window, she saw Weiss staring at her expectantly. Swallowing, she pressed the confirmation button, and again reality warped around them, the forest replaced by a vast desert, and their casual costumes with military combat gear.

"...don't get too upset when I beat you," Ruby said, checking over her equipment, glancing up to see Weiss looking over her new appearance and weapons. She doubted she'd ever played this game, or even one like it, ever before.

"Mmm. Don't worry, I'm a very graceful loser," Weiss assured her.

A flash of light around them, and the two disappeared from each other's sight, the game relocating their avatars away from each other on the map. A countdown flashed in front of Ruby's eyes, signalling the start of the match. It didn't take long afterwards for her and Weiss to find one another again. It took even less time for her to realize the other girl had been mocking her.

No matter what she did, no matter how sure she was of her chances, confident in her skills, or assured of her tactics, Ruby could not land a single solitary hit on Weiss. By contrast, the President was quite easily backing the seemingly more experienced player into a corner, overwhelming her defenses, countering all her traps, turning the tables on her at every turn. It wasn't long until she'd dealt a killing blow.

"How?!" Ruby cried out as their minds returned to the office.

"You want to know how I beat you?" Weiss asked calmly, a sly little smirk on her lips.

Ruby was too frustrated by the crushing defeat to notice, "Yes!"

"Meet me at the senior's lounge for lunch tomorrow then, and I'll tell you."

* * *

 

That match was on Ruby's mind for the rest of the day. She went over every moment of the game, trying to figure out just how Weiss was so _good_. She always seemed to just _know_ exactly what Ruby was doing, exactly how she'd attack, no matter how sure she was that she'd planned out the perfect ambush. It was infuriating, and her frustrations only grew before she finally went to bed.

Waking up the next day, she eagerly awaited the answers she'd been promised. It was only as lunch at last neared that she began to think of anything else. Weiss had told her to meet her at the senior's lounge which was, as the name implied, generally reserved for seniors. It was a nice little garden space set aside in the school's admittedly already upscale cafeteria, a peaceful space that was obviously a favorite of the students it was designated for.

Being a first-year student, Ruby felt a bit nervous walking up to the archway leading to the older students' space, invitation or no. A perhaps rightly justified sense, when a condescending voice called out to her.

"Excuse me, I think you might be lost, little girl."

Glancing to her side, Ruby saw an unfortunately familiar trio seated at a table just beside the entryway. Emerald was scowling at her as ever, while her grey-haired friend Mercury simply looked disinterested. The one who had spoken to her though had long black hair, piercing, fiery golden eyes, and a silky smooth voice that only helped highlight her condescending tone.

Ruby huffed indignantly, opening her mouth to reply, before another voice from further in cut her off.

"I asked her to meet with me here, so I'll thank you not to bother her, Cinder."

Looking over, Ruby saw Weiss staring back at her, raising a hand to gesture for her to come over. Sparing Cinder and her group one last glance, Ruby proceeded past the other students to Weiss' table. When she came to stand beside it, the President gestured to the seat across from her, Ruby taking her eyes off her for just a moment to sit down. When she looked back up, she had to blink in surprise at the sight of her holding out a cable, the other end already connected to the terminal mounted around her neck.

 Ruby's face flushed with heat, able to hear scandalized whispering at some of the tables around them, "What're you doing?!"

"Just plug it in, you dolt."

"But that's the sort of thing you do with your-!"

Weiss just rolled her eyes, leaning across the table, Ruby's words cut off by a surprised gasp as she felt Weiss' fingers brush against her neck. More scandalous gasps sounded from the other students as she pushed Ruby's collar down slightly, exposing the port on her own Neuro-linker for her to plug the cable into.

A pop-up reading **"Wired Connection Detected"** flashed in front of her vision as Weiss pulled back, settling back into her seat, _"Apologies if this all seems a bit... much, but privacy is of the utmost importance here,"_ her voice echoed in Ruby's head.

_"If it was privacy you wanted, why not just meet somewhere quieter than the cafeteria..."_

Weiss' expression soured a bit, _"Well, I was going to ask if you had any practice with Neuro-speak, but clearly you're capable enough with it."_

 _"What's going on anyway? I thought you were going to tell me how you beat me? Is this,"_ she gestured to a number of students around them still staring at the two sharing a wire, _"some kind of prank?"_

_"Hmm... I suppose, in a way, it is. Or you could say, I already played my trick."_

_"What?"_

Weiss' fingers tapped away at something on her display, _"I'm going to send you an app."_

She gestured from her neck to Ruby's, the visual of a snowflake rendered flying between them, before a pop-up appeared in front of her.

**"Install BB2039?"**

_"If you install it, your current reality will be destroyed, and reconstructed into a world you could have never dreamed of."_

_"...isn't this a bit... dramatic?"_ Ruby asked, eying the install window.

Weiss smirked rather playfully, shrugging her shoulders, _"We have our reasons."_

_"We?"_

_"It's up to you to accept it or not."_

Ruby turned her eyes back to the window, gaze straying between the "Accept" and "Decline" buttons.

 _"You want to go faster, don't you?"_ The words got her attention, returning her gaze to Weiss, _"Faster than you've ever known... faster than anyone before you."_

The voice echoing in her mind sounded so certain, so knowingly. And it sounded so... right. Her finger swiftly tapped the button, the window immediately breaking down into a scattering of embers. They collected around the app logo, which promptly burst into flames that engulfed both her and Weiss, startling her back in surprise.

_"Why programmed something like this?!"_

As the flames died down, they coalesced into a title, the font seemingly crafted from scrap metal held together by bolts and chain links.

**Brain Burst**

The installation gauge hung from chains below the title, slowly filling up.

_"Brain Burst? What kind of app is this?"_

_"I'll tell you if it installs correctly."_

_"If?"_

_"There's a possibility of the installation failing. It's a... temperamental program."_

Ruby swallowed, suddenly feeling kind of nervous. Was it because of how dramatic this all was? Or because of how worked up she'd gotten hoping for an answer? She looked down as the gauge filled completely, the title burning away into ashes. She watched as they reformed into a new, flaming message before her eyes.

_"Welcome to The Accelerated World?"_

_"Seems my instinct was right, you are a good fit..."_ Weiss audibly chuckled, _"You know, it took me a few minutes to decide when this was offered to me. I even had a speech planned to goad you into it, if need be. Seems that was a waste of effort."_

_"So... what does it do, anyway?"_

_"It seems you'll at last have your answers. I'm going to teach you a new command for your Neuro-linker now. Repeat after me,_ Burst Link."

"Burst Link?"

Ruby heard a little beep from her neck as her Neuro-linker processed the command, and in the next instant, the world around her froze blue. For a moment, she was frozen in place, and the next she was sitting up on the table, dressed in her Little Red Riding Hood avatar.

"W-What-?!" she stood up, looking around at the suddenly blue world. Everyone and everything around her was blue, cold, quiet and still. Seemingly frozen in time, her lone voice echoing into the void.

"Get down from there you child!"

Crying out in surprise at someone else's voice suddenly speaking, Ruby fell from the table, crashing heavily to the floor, "Ow..."

Looking up, she saw Weiss, also dressed in the regal avatar she'd seen before, glaring down at her.

"Weiss, what is this?" she asked, reaching out to take the hand Weiss graciously held out for her.

"This is the primary function of the Brain Burst app. We have Accelerated."

"Accelerated?"

"That's right. Welcome, to the Accelerated World," Weiss repeated raising her arms to gesture to the frozen realm they now occupied, "A world occupied by we Burst Linkers."

"Burst Linkers? Accelerated World?" Ruby looked around at the frozen students, growing more confused by the moment.

"You're probably thinking that the world around us has somehow been frozen, but that's not quite what's happened. What happens when you normally Link?"

"Well I... log into a local VR space?"

Weiss nodded, grinning approvingly, "And that's exactly what has happened. You and I are currently in a private, virtual space, modeled using data pulled from the security cameras around us," she explained, gesturing to some of the cameras mounted high on the walls.

Kneeling down, Ruby looked under one of the tables where the camera couldn't see, briefly marveling at the strange black void present there, "So it just puts us in a snapshot? Why?"

"Snapshot?" Weiss scoffed, "Don't be absurd. This simulation is real-time."

Ruby stood up, looking at her wide-eyed, "Real-time? But... but everything's frozen!"

"That is the true function of Brain Burst," Weiss declared, pointing right at her, "Utilizing the quantum computing capabilities of your Neuro-linker to their fullest, our personal processing powers have been accelerated by a factor of roughly one thousand."

"One thousand?!"

"In simpler terms, we would have to spend sixteen minutes and forty seconds in this space, for a single second to have elapsed when we return to our bodies."

"That's insane! Who could create something like this?! Accelerating our brains?! Hacking into security cameras?! Instantly rendering VR spaces?! That's way too-" Ruby paused, something suddenly clicking in her mind, "This is how you kept figuring out my every move yesterday!"

Weiss broke out laughing, leaning back against the table where their normal bodies sat perfectly still, "Wow, you start in with all the existential questions, and then immediately get distracted by putting that together?'

"You cheated!"

"Maybe so," Weiss cooed, smirking.

About then, another thought occurred to Ruby, "Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you do all this? Give me the app, show me how it works; you could have just said you used an app to cheat. You didn't even _have_ to do that much. So why?"

Weiss hummed thoughtfully, looking away, up at nothing in particular, "Maybe I'll tell you, someday."

"Wha-"

"For now though, I've one last piece of advice for you. Make sure you turn off your wi-fi before you leave the school's LAN today."

"What? Why would I-"

"And don't turn it back on until you come back tomorrow."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Do it," Weiss told her firmly, her narrowed glare leaving no room for argument, "Burst Out."

And then she was gone, leaving Ruby alone in the frozen space.

* * *

 

"Hey Ruby! How come your wi-fi's off?!"

Ruby turned to see Yang and Blake running up to her. Well, Yang ran, long blonde hair bouncing behind her as she rushed up to her sister; Blake walked, equally long black hair staying in place down her back.

"Oh, uh... I think there's something glitchy with my Neuro-linker? I'll fix it when I get home..."

"Huh, alright then... oh! Y'know, I heard an interesting lil' rumor today," Yang cooed, her tone going from curious concern to teasing in a snap.

"A... rumor?"

"Yeah, that _someone_ had a lunch date with the pres!"

"Wha-?! I- no- that- it wasn't a date!" Ruby sputtered, while her sister just laughed.

"So it's tru~e! How'd ya swing that one sis?"

"Wasn't a date..." Ruby mumbled.

"And yet I hear that you cabled with her and everything..."

That brought a fresh blush to her cheeks, quickly walking ahead of the two, "It wasn't a date!" she shot back all the same.

* * *

 

_"Don't go!"_

_Ruby was running, running through a dark forest, desperately reaching for the light in the distance. The growling of unseen monsters reverberated through the shadows, but she was oblivious to them. All that mattered to her was reaching for that light, driving herself ever forward._

_Finally, she broke through the tree line, light enveloping her, blinding her briefly. Her vision returned, showing her a vast cliff looking out over the world. Still she ran, running for a point jutting further outward. She could see a figure dressed in white standing there, looking out into the sunset._

_"Please, don't go!"_

* * *

 

"Mom!"

Ruby shot up in bed, gasping for air, arm still outstretched like it had been in her dream. Panting as she caught her breath, she reached a hand up, wiping some of the sweat from her face.

The dream... nightmare, had been bizarrely vivid. And intense. She couldn't remember experiencing anything like it before. Sighing, she tried to put it out of her mind, getting out of bed to prepare for her day.

"Hey Ruby," her dad greeted her as she came out into the kitchen for breakfast, "Your wi-fi's still off, could ya turn it on so I can give you your lunch money?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," still distracted by thoughts of her nightmare, she didn't think anything of reaching to the back of her neck, flicking the wi-fi switch back on, "Where's Yang?"

"Still getting ready I think. Probably shouldn't wait too long for her."

Nodding, Ruby quickly finished her breakfast, making her way downstairs and outside for school. She'd barely made it out the front door, the small connection icon in the top of her periphery noting her internet connection, when the world around her froze.

"Did I accelerate?!"

Just like yesterday, she looked upon a frozen blue landscape. Except, it didn't stay that way for long. The vibrant blue flecked away, the world around her twisting, warping and breaking until her neighbourhood had been transformed into a wasteland right out of a post-apocalyptic thriller. Before her eyes, the familiar font of Weiss' "Brain Burst" program flashed a new flaming message.

**"HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER!!"**

The flames dispersed, forming into a new heads-up display. The motif was fittingly rust-punk as she'd seen from the app's installation, but more than that the design was familiar; two health gauges with a name below them to either side of a timer.

"A... fighting game?"

Her eyes fell to the name on the left, typically where the current player's would be. "Ruby Reaper," was that her? She tried to raise a hand to interact with the display, startling when a red, mechanical arm came into view, right before **"FIGHT!!"** flashed in front of her.

"A VR fighter? What's..." she looked around, eventually spotting a dilapidated fountain yet gushing water into a cracked basin, walking over to see her reflection, "A robot?!"

Looking back at her was a dark red, mechanical figure. Vaguely feminine in proportions, and covered partially by a red cloak that reminded her of her Little Red Riding Hood costume, though much more worn and ragged. Her body seemed to glisten like her namesake gemstone, the only other points of colour being two large, buggy, robotic eyes, the same silver as she bore in real life.

"Someone challenged me to a fight?" she wondered aloud, about to start looking for her opponent.

As soon as she turned, she felt blinded by the sun. No, not the sun, that had been completely obscured by thick, dark clouds since she'd entered this place. The light that blinded her was coming from high up on the building she'd just left. Looking up, she could barely see another robotic figure, this one bright yellow, with flames gushing out of its head, surrounding its body in a cloak of flame, making it look very much like a little sun-person.

"Well, can't say I'm fond of _World's End_ , but I'd say getting a brand-spankin' newbie as my first fight of the day makes up for it!" the sunny figure boasted, a distinctly feminine voice echoing through the area. A distinctly _familiar_ feminine voice...

"...Yang?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've told myself for a long time I wanted to write an Accel World AU. So I took the opportunity to try!


End file.
